Designed to serve as an ersatz kitchen for those living without, this seven-in-one design features a cutting board, an induction hob, a pot and pan, a wrap for utensils and cutlery, a dish rack, all tucked into a portable box.

While it may sound like a dystopian product for a generation that can’t afford houses, it could come in handy for those sharing kitchens at places like the Royal College of Art, where designer Yu Li created it.

But the target, says the designer, “the end users are millennials, young professionals who don’t have sufficient kitchen space. They might be sharing the kitchen with others – facing the situation of ‘kitchen traffic’ – or living alone in a studio with a kitchenette.”

The back pulls out to be used as a tray, which can also be turned into a drying rack. The induction hob has a timer and temperature controls. “The idea is to trim the original kitchen space down to a few minimal elements so space can be designed simpler, neater and transformed into other purposes to increase the space utilisation.”

As more and more novel apartment units get built in which some spaces are shared, this could be at least a temporary solution, if not a real answer to the systemic problem of home affordability. That, or it could be a great camping (or glamping) companion.